Talk-It-Up Tuesday with Tyler "Applesauce" Vik

 

In any motorsport there is always that one guy who is not only great at what he does on the race track, but his antics and character off the race track make him a fan favorite as well. In R/C car racing, one of those individuals is none other than Tyler Vik. On the track Vik is all business, off the track he is all about laughs and having a good time. We decided to try and settle the wildman down for as long as possible for this week's "Talk-It-Up Tuesday!"
 

 
 

LiveRC: Welcome Wildman to LiveRC "Talk-It-Out Tuesday!" For viewers who don't know you, let's start out by introducing you to them. Who is Tyler Vik, and how did he get started in R/C car racing?

Tyler: Typical humble beginnings; my dad got an RC10GT for Father's Day, and after we went to a track, 11 year old me basically stole it from him. That was thirteen years ago, and I'm still racing as much as I can.

LiveRC: What are some of your biggest successes over the years as a racer?

Tyler: That's an easy one; being the guy who made Brent Thielke retire from racing mod truck.
 
 
LiveRC: We first met years ago at the Mugen Seiki Nitro Challenge held at Real R/C Raceway in Pleasant Hill, Missouri. You always seemed to do well there, would you consider that one of your favorite races of the time?

Tyler: That race was always really fun; I'm not sure if it was the fireworks or the racing, but altogether it was a fun event to go to every year. Unless you're Kris Moore's femur.

LiveRC: What is one race you look forward to the most year after year now?

Tyler: Definitely the World's. The international venues, duration of the event, the level of competition, and the new products by the manufacturers certainly puts it at multiple levels above all other races.

LiveRC: Is racing your full-time job at this point?

Tyler: Nope, not my full-time job, still a full-time student. I just graduated with my bachelors last year, and now I'm working on my MBA at Santa Clara University, hopefully graduating in June 2015.

LiveRC: You have ventured into more and more 1:10 scale racing over the past couple of years, tell us a little about that?

Tyler: It's kind of a staying relevant thing, I guess. 1/8th scale club racing doesn't get the turnouts that it used to, so you almost have to run electric if you want to be able to race something. Plus, two Nationals and a World's were hosted in Northern California, so I had to go to races like that when they're in my backyard.
 
 
LiveRC: You are an XRAY team driver for 2014. Tell us a little about how that all came about.

Tyler: At the World's in Chico last year, I built an XB4 the night before 4wd practice and was really impressed with it. Right out of the box, the car was really fast and easy to drive, and I even got a couple top ten runs, which for me, is higher than expectations. So when I became rideless this year, they were the first people I spoke to, and we were able to work something out for 2014.
 
 
LiveRC: It doesn't matter what race your at, you always have one thing with you...applesauce. Why applesauce?

Tyler: It just started as an easy breakfast, like a big jar of baby food. I didn't realize how weird it was until everyone was like "Hey, that's pretty weird".
 
LiveRC: You have become a social media sensation with some of your entertaining posts and antics. What has been the most "liked" post you've had so far?

Tyler: Facebook just did a year in review thing, and I think my most liked PC post was "Just got to class and opened up a pack of Starburst. Both yellow. Might go home." I won't count anything on the "Tyler Vik Professional R/C Racer" page, since I was an innocent bystander with that one :).

LiveRC: We would consider you to be a serious racer on the track, but off the track you are probably one of the most fun and relaxed racers in the pits. Would you agree, and if so, do you use that to your advantage over racers who get so stressed on race day?

Tyler: I'm not sure I'd go as far as to call it an advantage, but R/C has always been a hobby for me, and I still treat it that way. I wouldn't be racing if it wasn't fun.
 
LiveRC: We understand that (against all odds) you now have a lovely lady in your life. What sort of pickup line did it take to pull that off?

Tyler: Believe it or not, it was "Hi I'm Tyler and I want to cover you in green paint and spank you like a disobedient avocado". I immediately set the bar pretty high for the romantics.
 
 
LiveRC: Does she know about your applesauce obsession?

Tyler: Applesauce, chicken tenders, Fruity Pebbles. She tolerates my kindergarten diet.

LiveRC: Of all the R/C drivers in the world, over all the years, who do you look up to the most, and why?

Tyler: I'd probably say Mark Pavidis. I remember watching him in awe when I first started racing at eleven, so it's pretty cool at this point to be able to race for him at AKA, plus he's my pick for the GOAT. As for the current guys I'd say Maifield, for being one of the few top guys to have a humble enough attitude to be a normal guy who races toy cars for a living.
 
 
LiveRC: When you're not racing R/C cars, what will you most likely be found doing?

Tyler: Forcing my girlfriend to watch Star Wars. Seriously, who hasn't seen Star Wars?

LiveRC: Favorite travel story.

Tyler: Pattaya.
 

LiveRC: Tyler, thank you for joining us today, it has been entertaining as always! We look forward to seeing you again at the next race very soon! Is there anything else you would like say before we go?

Tyler: Just want to thank my parents for supporting me throughout the years, and all of my sponsors who help me to keep racing; XRay, RCAmerica, AKA, FX Engines, Speed Passion, Sidewinder, Airtronics, and UpGrade RC. 

 

 

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